Volume 13 , Issue 29

NW Okie's Ancestry Corner

The photo on the right shows the "Alva The Champions" . . . They played in the Alva, Greensburg and Hopeton area around the 1904. Listed Left to Right, Front Row: George Brannan, Jess Clifton, the dog, Lynn White, Ramsey; Middle Row: Helena boy, Frank Crowell, Wilhite; Back Row: Museller, Quinlan, Bill McGill, Rolly Wilton, Ross Frazier. Correct me if I am wrong, but was one of these photos the "Alva Giants?"

You will probably notice that this week's newsletter has gone to the early baseball history of Oklahoma and Indian Territory and how my grandpa William J. (a.k.a Parsons, Bill or Will) McGill played a part in the early history of baseball in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Missouri. Grandpa "Parsons" McGill started his baseball days in Alva between 1900 thru 1904.

In 1900, Grandpa McGill was a big gangling, awkward farm boy living on a farm southwest of town, where his older brother had made the run. McGill enrolled at Northwestern for a college career. mcGill followed along period of time when he and Dan Quinlan did most of the pitching for Alva and played both with the college and town teams.

Grandpa played on Northwestern Normal's School baseball team in 1903. by 1904 Grandpa McGill was playing baseball at Friends University in Lawrence, Kansas. At some time in 1904 he played with the "Alva Champions" in the above photo.

It was during the baseball season of 1906 that Grandpa McGill pitched for the Austin Senators, in the South Texas League, with the following team players: Geo. Felter, Harry Short, Happy Fields, Richardson, Stevenson, McCall Carter, Suitor, hartman, Gordon, Hutchcroft, and Capt. Gill.

As E. M. Barker, sports editor, Alva-Review Courier reported in a 1943 baseball article, "On September 17, 1907, the St. Louis Browns were playing the Cleveland American Indians. On the Cleveland team at that time was the great Napoleon Lajoie said by many to be on the greatest second baseman of all times. It was the second game of the doubleheader and not a man had been retired.

"On the mound for the Browns was a young Texas League recruit pitching his first major league baseball game. The crowd was astounded at his speed as he weaved his long willowy frame to and fro on the pitcher's mound, coolly chopping down the most seasoned veterans of the game.

"The ninth inning came up with St. Louis leading 2 to 1. The second batter to face the young St. Louis pitcher missed a fast inside pitch just belt high. The catcher called for another in the same spot. The rookie, with victory in his grasp, grew a wee bit careless and the ball sailed over the plate just a trifle higher and right in the batter's groove. A two base hit resulted and the batter later scored the tying run. The game went on into the twelfth inning and was called on account of darkness." SEE URL below.

Grandpa Bill McGill's major league career was brief, as he pitched only two games for the St. Louis Browns against Cleveland and the New York Highlanders. In late September Grandpa returned to Alva to go into the furniture business with his older brother, James. McGill did take a short stint in the old Western Association league with Guthrie and pitched a few more games for Alva.

In 1943, E. M. Barker, Alva-Review Courier Sports Editor, in Northwest Oklahoma, wrote an article titled, King of Sports Has Long History. Barker mentions that prior to the coming of statehood there were several saloons that were the main support of the ball clubs of the gay nineties. The men who played on the teams were connected with baseball were from the "sturdy stock" and character who contributed to the great national pastime. They also played an important part in the building of the town in a civic and material way.

In 1894, the first baseball diamond was located on the grounds where the Washington Elementary stands today, on the northwest corner of 7th and Center Street.

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